Beyerdynamic DT150 headphones

[N@Z 0]

My intital impressions so far after 2 days of listening. Comparisons with a few other headphones will come later once I have the time to do so.

 

They don't look as ugly as I expected but they do look big especially the thick headband, the worst looking part of the headphones. Driver enclosures are spacious like HD600 but more rectangular in shape as opposed to Oval. The whole thing is like a flashback from the 70's! Before operation requires a very quick & simple installation of the unique Beyer plug (found on the DT250 too) with a single

 

First day initial impression. Sound is bass prominent but not as much as DT770. Drum resonances reminds me of the Grado RS-1. Highs sound muted. Mids are forward. Overall sounds boxy & closed in. But plenty of detail, just a lack of crispness of say DT880. If it had lean bass but with the same amount of detail it'd be the Etys. Soundstage seems not as big as I'm used to. Will swap tubes to reconfirm. Sounds very close to the HD600 but alot drier, less soundstage & a more intimate forward presentation without the brightness of Grados. I find that there is less headstage effect with these phones probably due to the more closer & intimate presentation. This is not at the expense of instrument seperation.

 

The last pair of headphones I used was the DT880 so had a chance to do a bit of A/B. Comparatively, the DT880 sound have:-

A more relaxed, spacious/reverby sound.

Less weight. Bass impact is less but extension is about the same.

Sweeter & crisper highs. A little too unreal sounding on some instruments, like cymbals.

Details are still there but not as 'in yer face'!

Very polite, slightly further back presentation.

 

OK after the second day & more CDs plus swapping from Mullards to Sylvania output tubes (Ei Yugo power tubes) it's not as dark as I initially encountered but the feeling is still there. It is definitely drier (less airy/spacious sound) which probably explains it. A bit disconcerting initially, being used to open headphones on my main rig. I wonder if it is correct to use blackness or neutral instead? Alot of detail is present, great for picking out each individual instruments. Infact subtle/delicate acoustic instruments sound amazing (harp, hand drums, chinese traditional stringed instruments). Rock music sound fab on it too! Quite fast even through the MG Head (Will try it out on the PCII & META next). It doesn't sound congested & fatiguing at all as I found myself listening longer than usual. I just need to get used to the visceral impact of bass on my eardrums! Yup bass is available in spades without detrimental effects on the rest of the range.

 

So far, I'm very impressed with it especially with rock music. Tight, punchy, detailed, unfatiguing & fast sound. Jazz & slower stuff I need more listening time & comparison with K501, DT250 & HD600. Suffice to say it is totally different to any headphones I have listened to so far.

 

 

Got a question for Rameish & Mackie, does your DT150 have the exact same earpad & headband covering like the photo above? Or does it look like mine below. More vinyl than leather, especially the headband . Can it be replace with the proper leather look?

The colour of the driver enclosure is misleading in the photo below, it looks more a shade inbetween the two in real life.

[Q00 0]

compared to the 7506 if you can remember...how is it?

 

would love to hear how it sounds like out of a meta/pc2

[N@Z 0]

Based on my memory the 7506 was not as forward. Highs are brighter even with the Beyer pads. Bass sounds good but the DT150 is fuller & richer. There is also a sense of air that was lacking in the DT150.

 

I have been adviced by Mackie to burn-in the DT150 further as it may be similar like the DT880. If I have time later today I will try it with my portable amps.

Edited November 16, 2003 by N@Z

[Mackie 0]

I love both DT-150 and 880! I equate the presentation of 880 as that of being in the midst of an audience in a concert hall and 150 to that with the musicians on stage. I don't expect headstage/soundstage of closed-back cans to surpass open/semi-open designs but what the 150 lacks in this aspect, it excels in many others as highlighted by N@Z. It's simply a very different flavour from the rest of the Beyer cans. 880 brings one into the realm of relaxation while 150 charges one with the energy of the music.

 

N@Z, my old demo set is exactly the one shown on Beyer website but my new pair is the same as yours. I will try to enquire if a change of the headband is possible.

 

Lastly, my 150 has chalked a mileage of 350 hours of burn-in and it still sounds a tad different to the seasoned demo pair. Bass was looser around the 100-hour mark but has since tightened up by a whole lot. Mids are pretty full now but treble has yet to reach the level that of the demo set. Yup, it's gonna be a long road of running in much like the 880.

Edited November 17, 2003 by Mackie

[Q00 0]

geez...are we looking at 500hrs+ of burning in?

 

 

[Mackie 0]

Well, treat it like red wine and let it age. It's still very listenable as it ages from the 100-hour onwards. Just enjoy the music during this time and feel less pertubed by the time needed for it to reach full potential. My pair of 880 continues to improve even after several months of use.

Edited November 17, 2003 by Mackie

[Q00 0]

argh...

 

cant wait to finish ns and start working n save up on my home system.

[N@Z 0]

...

 

N@Z, my old demo set is exactly the one shown on Beyer website but my new pair is the same as yours. I will try to enquire if a change of the headband is possible.

 

...

Inquire about the earpads too as the one in the photo looks as luxurious as the headband. I know, I know, it doesn't affect the sound but it will make me feel better nonetheless!

[Mackie 0]

No worries matey. I will get them if the accessories are available. Being modular in design, I don't forsee any difficulty in getting hold of these. Cost will be the main concern and I wonder if it's worth it for aesthetic reasons. I consider a pad change as more of a necessity as comfort is an issue though.

Edited November 17, 2003 by Mackie

[Blues 0]

N@z how does the dt150 sound as compared to the dt250?

since both are closed

[N@Z 0]

I've only compared them briefly so I'll post my impressions after I had a longer listen & after I post Q00's request on how it fares with the PCII & META42.

[N3w_Typ3 0]

Woo lets wait .. for more impressions !!! from N@Z .. as i am drooiing over this pair of cans than cd 3k !!!

[Sipher 0]

sounds like my kind of cans, sound wise. hehe

but it does generate heat after long usage in non air-conditioned room right?

if so, then it's not for me because even when using my HD200, i will feel the heat after an hour or so of usage. sighz..

[N@Z 0]

DT150 using PCII & KurtW META42 in a nutshell.

 

PCII has more than enough power to drive them & sounds fairly good to boot. All the beyer headphones that I've listened to with it yielded positive results. Orchestra size is well represented in Diana Krall's The Look of Love CD. Slight grain in the top end. It doesn't lose much to the MG Head but it lacks the attack on electric guitar plucking. Boxy sound is made prominent here though which is annoying.

 

KurtW META42 also has no problems driving the DT150. In fact it has even more bass but it still has that 'boxy' sound to vocals & drums . Double bass & cellos sounds natural though. Slightly better highs here but still has that dark character. Maybe it would fare better in a slightly bright sounding system althoug I always thought my CDP+DAC was fairly bright already. Tried fiddling around with positioning, rather than having it sit low & forward like I normally do, I had it low only. Still no good. Then I tried having it sit as high as possible. It seemed to increase a bit more clarity but bass is still aplenty & a reduction in the boxy sound.

 

Oh, just for fun, I tried Massive Attack's Mezzanine CD because I remember it being a fairly dark & heavy bass recording. Shyeet! Excuse my Greek! DT770 had larger than life Bass & this comes close to it but with none of the recessed mids. It feels like having a pair of subs in my head! Q00 you will LOVE this combination. Surely the PIMETA would be equally good in this aspect. I shudder to think what a PPA wil do to my poor eardrums. I'm really perplexed, I expected pro monitor headphones to sound leaner in the bass department.

 

Of the two I prefer the META as it adds a touch more crispness to the highs. I'm still not used to the presence of copious bass. So far, none of my CDs sound like they're bright or lacked bass anymore. I think Grado headphones have also met their match for rock headphones in the DT150. Note that this doesn't mean the PCII is not good it just works better with other headphones.

 

The photo below is a better representation of the actual driver enclosure's colour. Concerning Sipher's question about heat build up, the pads do feel a little sticky if in a non-aircon room. The past few days I have been using it in my room with no aircon, just plenty of ventilation & the ceiling fan on. My ears didn't feel as hot as compared with the DT250. The reason could be because there is plenty of room for my ears inside the driver enclosure & my body temperature was not hot in the first place. Otherwise it might have been more noticeable, note YMMV.

[Q00 0]

OK... i am sold!

 

Thank you very very much for helping me confirming my suspicions! Hehehe... Im giggling in anticipation to the fun i will have with these pair.

Im also very glad that it does really well with rock as well! Ive been listening to rock quite abit lately so this is very welcome news.

 

Thanks again N@Z!!